Seaparates

The industry is steadily moving toward doing more in fewer boxes.

Is that a good or bad thing?

I am always watchful of trends and their sonic impacts.

You?

Integrated amplifiers with built-in DACs, streamers, and phono stages are more capable than ever. For many listeners, a single chassis and a pair of speakers are all that’s required. It’s clean, efficient, and far less intimidating than stacks of separates.

Yet there are advantages to separates. 

When we designed the PMG Signature line, we chose separates not for complexity’s sake, but because it allowed us to optimize each stage without compromise. Massive transformers, isolated digital boards, and carefully managed grounding schemes simply require space.

If simplicity and space matter most, modern integrated designs like our Strata MKII are superb.

If ultimate performance is the goal, separating functions still provides advantages.

As always, the system should serve the music—and your life—not the other way around.